nguyendminh_RENAMED

Swiveling headlights
Who here thinks swiveling is stupid ? I think it is, because I do not see any benefits other wow it is cool.


Lets say you drive straight and the light shines in front of you which is fine because that is where you want to see anyway.



The cars with swiveling headlights, the lights actually turn left if you are going left and right if you are going right. In theory I think that would be beneficial. But in reality it would not benefit a driver at all. If you are making a turn the headlight is fixed to the car so where ever the car points to the headlights points in the the direction you are going already. But if you have those swiveling headlights lets say you turn right the lights also turn right then it would be shining too much to the right.

Raheel

Its not all stupid, But it is a cool feature nonetheless

Tracer

My aunt has that on her RX330 .. i am not a big fan of it. Made me feel unsafe. (the brain thinks the light is going straight, but it's not.. hilarious eye twitching ensues... and no, after weeks with the car, my aunt hates it still, she actually going to go in to the dealer and have that feature turned off)

Tracer

Bitium

I didn't know the acura did this. Where did you read this??

I know the headlights use a system that makes the regular xenon bean into high beans. So is basically bi-xenon HID's but only one bulb also making the housing smaller not like infiniti G35 etc.

EmuMessenger

Raheel

Ya I know after I wrote that, I confused myself too

I meant Its not stupid, and is pretty cool, but its really useless.

EmuMessenger

I happen to like the feature and think it has some merit. Personally, I love cornering lamps and they are the next-best thing.

Bitium

Where did you hear about cornering lights ??????????

HID (HIGH-INTENSITY DISCHARGE) HEADLIGHTS
Previously, the TL had HID (High-Intensity Discharge) low beams coupled with conventional halogen high beams. The new TL headlights feature HID high and low beams, as well as built-in fog lamps. These bi-function HID high/low beams are made possible by a shutter device that mechanically controls the light output of the HID unit. When the driver selects high beam, an electric solenoid in the headlight moves a shutter forward, opening up a greater reflector area inside the headlight. When the lights are operated on low beam, this shutter repositions to act as a cut-off to keep the lighted area closer to the vehicle.

Compared to the previous TL, the new headlights dramatically increase the illuminated area, and are nearly 50 percent more effective at long range. The fog lamp illumination has also been increased.

LED LIGHTING
Extensive use of Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) provides a high-tech image for the 2004 TL side and rear lighting. LEDs are used for the front side marker lights, Center High Mount Stop Lamp (CHMSL), taillights, and rear side marker lights.

These LED arrays have more uniform lighting and a unique, modern look. They also have a quicker turn-on time and a projected service life four times longer than normal automotive bulbs.

5 MPH BUMPERS
The Acura TL uses a highly efficient Xenoy thermoplastic energy absorber with a high-strength steel reinforcement beam that absorbs 80 percent of low-speed crash energy. This allowed designers to reduce the overhang of the bumper, while also reducing the weight and repair costs. Both the front and rear bumpers meet the federal government's damage-free regulation when tested at 5 mph. They are also lighter than previous versions: the weight savings are 3.0 pounds and 2.9 pounds front and rear, respectively.

NOISE, VIBRATION & HARSHNESS (NVH) CONTROL
Substantial improvements in noise, vibration and harshness were made over the previous TL. Measures include advanced aerodynamic design, the first U.S.-market use of automotive acoustic glass with shade band, insulating panels under the hood and inside the trunk and the fenders.

Internal testing shows that the 2004 TL has less higher-frequency wind noise at the driver passenger "ear point" than the Audi A4, BMW 330i, BMW 530i, Infiniti G35, Lexus ES 300 and Mercedes-Benz C320. It is also measurably improved over the previous TL.

Key 2004 TL NVH countermeasure areas include:

Acoustically tuned glass windshield

To reduce noise in the cabin the 2004 TL windshield is made of 4.7 mm thick acoustic glass, which consists of two layers of safety glass, separated by a thin acoustic resin center. This represents the first time that acoustic glass has been applied to a luxury vehicle in North America with a shade band. The new windshield reduces road noise on smooth asphalt significantly in the higher frequency ranges. To reduce noise intrusion through the side glass, the front and rear movable door glass is 5 mm thick compared to 3.5 mm for the previous TL.

Thinsulate

Patented by 3M, Thinsulate(TM) insulation was developed for thermal applications but it is also ideal for noise reduction. It is crushable and can be used in tight-clearance areas. In the TL it is used behind the door liners, rear seat side garnishes, center console, rear seatback and front and rear pillar garnishes. It is also used under the instrument panel and parcel tray.

Trunk

Engineers treated the trunk as an acoustic package, containing the speaker array and trunk hinges and springs in a rigid box structure. This improves audio bass performance, enhances reduces interior noise levels, enhances the appearance of the trunk interior, and reduces the chance that belongings will be damaged by a speaker or hinge.

VH reduction items

Aluminum-alloy front subframe
Improved melt sheet package
Improved A-pillar shape
Diffuser type mirrors with full seals
5 mm side glass (vs. 3.5 mm on previous TL)
Hood insulator
Improved door-handle sealing
Flush-mount moonroof
Aluminum-alloy front subframe

Besides its low mass, the TL aluminum-alloy front subframe reduces "starting boom" (resonance noise) without the use of additional dampers.

Melt Sheet

The careful application of high-density melt sheet makes a huge reduction in high-frequency sound. Testing results shows it reduces the high frequency (approx. 500Hz and above) vibration of the TL floor panels, decreasing noise inside the vehicle.

POWER WINDOWS
The 2004 TL has a front power window feature with an auto-open and auto-close feature. It also incorporates an anti-pinch safety feature. The glass is 5 mm thick-up from 3.5 mm thick in the 2003 TL-to reduce cabin noise.

EXTERIOR (SIDEVIEW) MIRRORS
Mirror housing needs to be small and aerodynamic to reduce turbulence-without compromising mirror area. To reduce the housing size engineers devised a way to hold the mirror element from behind instead of at the sides, and carefully controlled the gap between the mirror element and housing to further reduce turbulence. Blue-tinted mirrors also reduce eyestrain in bright conditions.

Engineers also measured the airflow through the channel between the A-pillar and the mirror. By designing this channel in an expanding V-shape, the air actually decelerates (rather than accelerates) as it moves across the glass. This helps keep the air from tumbling across the side glass, reducing high- and mid-frequency noise.

Engineers also positioned the mirrors forward, away from the window glass, to further reduce wind noise while increasing the driver's side view. A reverse tilt function automatically tilts either the left or right mirror down when the TL transmission is shifted into Reverse. This is a driver-selectable function that may be turned on or off as desired.

DOORS & LATCHES
To resist parking lot dings and dents, the 2004 TL door skins are made from special 340H high-tensile steel. This bake-hardened steel has much greater resistance to bending and a higher work-hardening threshold than conventional steel, making the door skins much more resistant to dents and dings. The door skins are 10 to 15 percent stronger with 50 percent better permanent deform resistance than conventional steel.

Door fit is a matter of extraordinary precision on the TL. The gap is just 3.5 mm at the leading edge of the front doors, 4 mm between the doors, and 3.5 mm at the trailing edge of the rear doors.

Acura precisely refined the door closing sound on the new TL. A new door sash structure, manufactured with a laser-welded blank, increases the rigidity of the door sashes and reduces objectionable high frequency noise as the doors are closed. A new door lock structure absorbs sounds caused by the latch, eliminating objectionable noise.

BODY TRIM
The aggressive and sporty styling on the 2004 TL is subtly enhanced by satin trim on the leading edge of the hood, on the grille, and above the license plate. The B-pillar and drip moldings are high gloss black, while aluminum step garnishes inside the door openings provide a finished appearance.

EXHAUST FINISHERS
The exhaust has bright trapezoidal finisher tips integrated into the rear styling. The tips are inset far enough to allow adequate bumper stroke in the event of a slow-speed collision, but are positioned far enough back to allow exhaust gases to pass beyond the bumper. Special multi-axis rubber mounts control the exhaust tip placement, allowing a closer fit of the rear bumper fascia. The gap is approximately 0.8 inch, compared to a gap of nearly 1.2 inches on the previous TL. A high heat-resistance polypropylene garnish is clipped to the bumper to protect it from heat.

EXTERIOR PAINT
The 2004 TL is available in eight pearl and three metallic exterior colors. The painting process begins when the steel body receives a phosphate bath to completely clean it of oils and film after welding is complete. This is followed by an electrodeposition primer bath, where the unit body is electrically charged to attract the primer. After baking, the color coat is applied, followed by a protective clear coat.

EmuMessenger

I was making a general statement. I'd prefer cornering lights over adaptive headlights.

I have not read, nor heard the TL will have cornering lights. The RL did in the mid-90's, but that's it for Acura.

AcuraTLFan

with the swivling lights, it's suppose to left you see what you going to run into, before you run into it.

even though ur arguement of the lights point where the car point is correct, where the car points is not where the car goes. The car goes where the tired points. And this is why it's benificial for the swilving lights. It will let you see where you are going to go before you get there. Lets say u make a left turn, the and there was some object in the road, with out the swivling light, you would probably hit it, or would realize it too late and have no time to dodge it. But if the light turns to let you see where your car will be then you have time to react.

nguyendminh_RENAMED

I agree with you on those points, but the spread of HID is enoug. Do me a favor and drive behind a car hat has HID headlights without adaptive lights such as the G35 or a BMW. as you can see the spread of the light is almost 180 degrees, I am guessing about 170 degrees, which is more enough spread without the aid of adaptive lights, that is why I think it is useless technology. Maybe if you use adaptive lights on halogen lamps then I would see it as beneficial.

EmuMessenger

Ugh...........Halogen...

1SICKLEX

It is not a gimmick. So auto self leveling HIDs are a gimmick too? It is useful, it illuminates more when you turn, a great new feature.

Raheel

Hey when you drive your wifes Accord, is there a big difference in the line of sight with Halogen?

I think maybe 2005 Accord will have Xenon

EmuMessenger

The headlights are plenty bright, but that muddy, yellow color is just hard to deal with.

I doubt the 05 will offer xenon.